Rubies and Sunshine, A Russia Romance
by Shelley Martin
Summary: *I Do Not Own Hetalia* On the edge of a bloody battlefield, lay a lone survivor. A man in a long tan coat and white scarf, covered in blood. Can you find his injuries fast enough to save his life, or is Russia toying with you the way he does with his enemies? (One Shot)


Rubies and Sunshine

A Russia Romance

Blood splattered sunflowers rustled around the bodies in the field. The camera fell from my hands, swinging on the strap around my neck. I'd come on assignment to take pictures of the Russian sunflowers for a local magazine, but the horror before me caused my feet to stumble.

Trembling, I approached each body, clad in dark military uniforms. All of them mercilessly slaughtered. Finally, I came to one man at the edge of the field wearing a long tan coat, hidden behind the broken stalks of flowers. His violet eyes cracked open to lock on me.

I froze, my heart thundering. "You're alive?"

"I'm alive," his impossibly deep voice made my heart skip a beat.

He continued to stare at me as my instincts kicked in. He was hurt and needed help, now.

I scrambled to his side, kneeling among the crimson stained flowers. Blood had sprayed across his clothes like paint flung by a careless child. I gulped as I hastily unlatched the buttons on his expensive coat. It fell open, exposing his dark clothing beneath. The fabric soaked clear through, hugging his hard, masculine lines. His boots gleamed in the light, hiding the gory stains, while the snowy scarf around his neck caused the droplets to stand out like red jewels.

My gaze detected no tears, rips or bullet holes in his finely tailored button up. I couldn't see where the injury was. _I need to get the blood washed off him._

"H…Hang on. I'll be right back. Just don't die."

The corners of his full lips twitched. "If you insist."

My mind ran like a freight train, trying to scour up what little knowledge of first aid I had. Once I reached my car, I popped open the glove compartment and scrambled to pull out napkins, a bottle of water, and the first aid kit.

Hurrying back through the sea of sunflowers, I checked my cell phone. _Ugh, no service?_ I skid to a stop by his side. _Okay, need to keep him talking so he stays conscious._

I took a deep breath as I unbuttoned his shirt. I needed to find where all the blood was coming from. "So, what's your name?"

"My name is Ivan. Don't you at least want me to buy you dinner before we get down to that?"

"Huh?" I pushed my hair out of my face as he flashed a questioning smirk. Immediately, my face burned. "Oh, ha ha. Tell you what, I'll let you buy me dinner if you don't die on me, okay?"

He grinned as I popped the last button on his shirt undone, and pushed it to the side. Drops of red liquid snaked down the myriad of muscles that formed his abs. His chest moved slow and steady as he watched my reaction with a hooded gaze.

"Um…" I shook my head to clear my senses. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Not that I can tell." His lips curled in a menacing, yet seductive, way.

_Hello! Focus here. Save the man first. Drool later._

"You must be in shock." My hands grazed down his side, pressing into his chest. "Any pain here?"

His light blond hair fell into his eyes as he answered. "No."

"Okay. No broken ribs." My hands trailed down to his stomach as I studied his body. The ripples of his abs tightened, jumping out to receive my touch. My gaze roved to Ivan's, and his brows arched.

"Um, can you relax a bit? I need to see if your organs are sound."

His head cocked to one side. "Forgive me. My muscles seem to be acting of their own will. Maybe that is a condition that needs seeing to?"

I shook my head. Over the chiseled six-pack I couldn't feel if he had any damage. But if his abs were working so well, I had to assume the rest of his torso was good-to-go.

My eyes wandered lower, following that light dusting of hair from his taunt belly to unknown regions…

I held my breath and mentally slapped myself. Most people could live though a leg injury. I'd save that for last.

"Would you like me to remove them?" His voice brought me back to reality. "Your eyes are burning holes through my trousers."

Gulping, I averted my gaze. My voice came out as a squeak. "That can wait. I should check your arms and head first."

"As you wish." His violet eyes challenged me as I grabbed the edges of his coat and shirt. His mood seemed to shift from gentle and reticent to hard and feral.

Gulping again, my eyes beheld his broad, masculine shoulders as I slipped the material down. Unconsciously holding my breath, my touch devoured the corded muscles, and slid the material lower. Against his pale, wrought biceps my hands appeared tiny as they gripped and kneaded the flesh.

_I had to focus…_ "Does that hurt?" I whispered.

But instead of answering, his eyes beheld me in their consuming grasp.

I bit my lip and pulled the rest of the material from his body. Though stained with blood, I still could find no injury. Grabbing the napkins and water, I mopped up his forearms and hands. Just as I finished my careful exploration, one massive hand caught mine.

Threading his fingers though my little ones, he pressed the back of my hand to his heart. My face burned red-hot as the lines of his rippling chest cradled my hand.

"Uh…um…" I tried to yank my hand away at my furious reaction to the contact. But he refused to release me. "I need to check your back. Turn over."

His eyebrows went up. "You presume to order me?" His soft tones betrayed the dangerous glint in his eye.

My body shook in response. "No. I'm just trying to help."

"Help?" His fingers massaged my hand gently. "It has been long since you've had a man, no?"

Embarrassment. Pure embarrassment flooded my veins with adrenalin. Was it _that_ obvious?

"Ah, by the blush of your cheeks I can see I am right. You want for me." He brought my hand to his lips and his warm breath caused my senses to ignite like wild fire. "I feel you trembling." His full lower lip grazed my knuckle. "You should become one with me. I will protect you and fight for you. I will not allow a drop of blood to mar that pretty face of yours."

_What has happened? How did making sure this gorgeous man was okay turn into a proposition?_ "You don't act like you're injured…"

A grin spread across his face. "I can handle myself in battle."

"You mean you did all this damage and you don't have a single injury?" _Just how strong is this guy? _"How is that possible?"

"These fingers can bring a swift death, or torture someone into submission." His teeth nipped at the pad of my forefinger. "I need you in this bed of flowers, beside me." His gaze darted from my face, to the sky, and back. "Would you like to submit? Or should I make you?"

"Wh…What?" My mind was still trying to process his words when strong, foreign hands grasped me from behind.

The painful grip yanked me from Ivan and crushed me to the chest of a bleeding foe. "Bow to us, Russia. Or we kill the girl," his deadly voice demanded.

The black barrel of a gun appeared at my right temple. _This guy means business._

Right then, I realized the quip about lying next to Ivan was to help me avoid being captured by this guy… Not to make a pass at me.

Now I really felt like an _idiot_.

"Do you accept my offer?" Ivan purred from the bed of blood, flowers, and rumpled clothes.

"What offer?" Fear jumbled my memories as I tried to recall what he said to me moments before. Only one phrase stuck to the back of my mind…"To become one with you?" _Maybe he was hitting on me? _

He nodded once, appearing almost bored with the situation. His cool demeanor remained as he spread his arms out in a relaxed pose among the flowers. His hands disappeared among the painted flower stalks.

What a perfect display of masculinity he was. In the short time I knew him, I'd learned he could be as gentle as a snowflake and as deadly as deep winter. In that moment, I knew there was no safer place than in his arms.

"I—"

The enemy's arm snaked to my jaw and pressed my head back. "No more talking." His crushing hands bruised my cheeks and made my eyes water. I wanted this jerk to pay.

"If I do, will you kill this guy?" I ground out.

Ivan's eyes flashed. "With pleasure."

The man's hand trailed down to my neck and squeezed, crushing my windpipe. I had to answer quickly before he cut me off from consciousness completely.

With the last bit of air I wheezed "Yes."

The man behind me tensed as Ivan stood to his full height. His alabaster skin pulled taunt as he flexed his finely tuned muscles. Years on the battle field had sculpted his form to perfection. The breeze tousled his sandy-blonde hair. The scarf decorated with drops of his enemy's blood whipped about him.

Without a doubt, Ivan was impressive.

With a swift swing of his arm, something shiny glistened in the sun. A curved pipe arced inches above my head, making a sickening _crunch_ as it connected with my attacker's skull.

_That was a little too close for comfort…_

His grip loosened and he fell with a thud behind me.

Ivan's free hand reached out and pulled me to him. Pressing my head to his warm chest, he whispered in my ear. "Don't look." His fingers blocked my vision as he began to usher me from the field. "I'll protect you from everything from now on. Even from the darkness within me."

But I resisted and tugged his hand free. Glancing over my shoulder, I paused and took in the gruesome sight. From this distance it didn't look as terrible as it had close-up. The bodies had been swallowed by the sunflowers.

Swaying in the breeze, the red contrasted with the yellow of the petals, appearing almost beautiful. "Your darkness did that?" I breathed in the floral and copper scent. "It's actually… beautiful from this distance. Like rubies on sunshine." I raised my camera and snapped several pictures.

His palm cradled my cheek, turning my vision back to him. "You think my work is beautiful?"

I nodded, my heartbeat speeding up at his heated gaze. "Like a work of art. It's exactly what I was looking for."

His lips captured mine with his heat and height bearing down on me.

My knees weakened, but his strong arms pinned me to his naked torso, holding me up. His intoxicating taste lingered on my lips as he pulled away. "You are so perfect," his husky voice said against my lips. "And soon we will become one."

I blushed, but didn't look away. "You promised we'd have dinner, if you didn't die."

"I did." He said. "Then I will spoil you with a feast of the finest food my country has to offer. And then—"

I kissed him long and deep, until I felt_ him_ begin to submit to _my_ touch. "And then we'll see what happens..."

...

If you like this Fan fiction, check out my works - Shelley Martin Fiction . com (all one word)

If you are a fan of anime and manga, you may especially like my Shadow Fan series!


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